A fantastic programme of exhibits looking into the modernisation of the Great Western Railway starts this month at Swindon’s STEAM Museum

The exhibition is called ‘Changing Trains’ and will see three brand new temporary displays corresponding with the 130th anniversary of major changes to the Great Western Railway (GWR).

During the early period of the GWR, the railway used wider track than the rest of the country, which created substantial issues at some stations as two separate lines met as passengers and goods had to change trains to move forward with their journey.

GWR began converting its track to the standard gauge (aka ‘narrow gauge’ back then) so that its track was uniform with other tracks around the country and was completed by 1892.

The new exhibitions are set to focus on GWR’s broad gauge track, the age of diesel and the electrification of the railway. The first of the exhibits ‘High-Voltage – Electrification of the Western Network’ will open on Saturday the 19th of February 2022.

The electrification of the western railway network has been an enormous project with over 100 bridges and tunnels demolished or altered in order to enable the new overhead power lines, several stations have also needed redevelopment and upgrading. ‘High Voltage’ will bring the story of the electrification scheme to life, exploring the obstacles that engineers faced.

During the February half term, STEAM will also be igniting the minds and imagination of its visitors with their week-long series of design and technology themes family activities and connecting to the new exhibit.

Tuesday the 22nd of February will also see Swindon Museum and Art Gallery’s Art on Tour project providing a free drop-in ‘Family Activity Day’ which will run between 10am and 3pm.

Creative workshops with a railway theme will also be held in STEAM’s Hawksworth Hall, where visitors can take part in a variety of activities, including linocut, storytelling and postcard making.

A ‘Create a Comic Workshop’ will also be held on the day and is aimed at 8 to 13-year-olds who will be able to create their own comics with illustrator and cartoonist Jack Brougham. A draw-along, create comic-book heroes and villains will also be available as well as learning how to turn ideas into comic illustrations. The workshop will take place between 3pm and 5pm and costs £2 per child.

On Thursday the 24th of February, education specialists STEMWorks will be conducting their action-packed electricity workshops for children aged 7 to 12 years. Those taking part will be able to design and build their own personal buzz wire game, which they can take home with them. The workshops are a fantastic way for children to develop a better understanding of electricity as well as utilising their problem-solving skills. The sessions last two hours and cost £7 per child.

Friday the 25th of February will provide families with a chance to learn about Morse code, semaphore signals the art of deciphering secret messages in our ‘Psst, pass it on!’ sessions. STEAM’s Learning Team will hold drop-in sessions right through the day giving children the chance to become code breakers, send their own private messages and uncover clues to find hidden secrets. The cost of the session is £2 per person, which is extra to museum admission.

Councillor Robert Jandy, Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage, Leisure and Town Centre Experience, said:

“There is a superb range of educational activities taking place this half-term at STEAM, covering core educational subjects such as science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.”

“The sessions will really bring the history of the railway to life for younger visitors and I would urge all families to visit the Museum with their children this February half-term.”

To find a full list of February half term activities please visit: http://www.steam-museum.org.uk

Tickets can be booked online from now right up to the 27th of February.